5 of the Best Free Graphic Editors for Creating Vector Image

When you think of graphic editors, the first name that comes to mind is Photoshop (or GIMP, if you are a Linux user). However, both Photoshop and GIMP are great for editing photos and creating raster images only. Raster images, such as PNG or JPG are fine in many cases, but very often you will need a more scalable format.

This is when you think of vector images. While Photoshop and GIMP can do some simple tasks with some vector formats, they are not meant to be vector graphic editors. You need a separate program. Here are five of the best free graphic editors for vector images you should try. These editors are either web apps or cross platform software, which means you can use them everywhere you need.

1. Inkscape

Let’s start with the best cross platform vector editor – Inkscape. This is a free open source program with an amazing set of features. Inkscape is used by many professional designers. It’s a full-fledged desktop vector editor available for Linux, Windows, and Mac OS. You can use it to create vector objects, perform all sorts of manipulations on them (fill, stroke, render, transform, group, use layers), add text, create vector images from bitmaps, etc. You can use Inkscape for editing some raster formats, such as PNG, too. If you need a desktop vector editor, I think this is the best choice among all the free vector editors.

2. RollApp

If you like Inkscape but you don’t want to install it on your computer, you can try RollApp. RollApp is the online version of Inkscape, and all you need is a browser. It has all the features of Inkscape plus integration with Dropbox, Google Drive, One Drive, and a few other cloud storage providers. However, if you work with large files and/or your Internet connection is unreliable, you might not be able to work as smoothly as on your desktop, but this applies to almost any other online vector editor as well.

3. Vectr

Vectr doesn’t have all the perks of Inkscape or RollApp, but it’s a good editor you can use for almost any vector task. The fact it doesn’t have as many features as Inkscape is not all bad – in fact, when you only have the basics, this makes it easier for beginners. Still, you can use Vectr to create images and apply basic operations, such as add layers, borders, shadows, or text.

Vectr is a very fast online editor (if your Internet connection is good, of course), but if you prefer to use it offline, you can download it for Linux, Windows, Mac, and Chromebook.

4. LibreOffice Draw

LibreOffice Draw is a good desktop vector editor for Linux, Windows, and Mac. It’s worth trying, especially if you already use the LibreOffice suite. You can use it to create vector images from scratch or to modify existing ones. One of the cool uses of LibreOffice Draw is for technical drawings, flowcharts, and diagrams because it has the right tools for the purpose. For more complex graphic editing, I personally prefer Inkscape.

5. Fatpaint

Fatpaint isn’t a vector editor only – you can use it to edit raster photos, too. It’s a web tool, so you only need a browse to use it. It’s great for creating logos and other small vector graphics. It doesn’t have as many features as its desktop counterparts but for quick edits it’s more than OK. You can use it to create new vector files and objects, edit them, manipulate paths, add text, etc. One of the special features of Fatpaint is its 3D text manipulation abilities.

These five free graphic editors for vector images are all nice, but it all depends on what you need them for. If you need lots of features, go with Inkscape; if you need to make just a few quick edits, web-based editors are the way to go.

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